Crain's Cleveland Business articles from November 2003

Crain's Cleveland Business archives from November 2003

Late News.
November 3, 2003... INVESTORS BUY SHOPPING CENTER Musca Properties LLC of Cleveland reports it has sold the South Park Plaza shopping center in Parma Heights for $4.2 million to South Park Plaza LLC. The new South Park investors include real estate broker Bob...

LakeWest tacks on space to a tune of $10 million.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND LakeWest Hospital this month will break ground on a $10 million expansion that will house some doctors' offices and outpatient and rehabilitation services. The addition will be the latest in a string of...

letters.(Letter to the Editor)
November 3, 2003... Keep that tax Editor: Hold your applause on the "tax attack'' initiated by Ohio Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell and lauded in your Oct. 20 editorial until you've considered some additional information. 1The argument in favor...

Demand surges for physician's assistants.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003... Byline: EILEEN BEAL Charts and X-ray film in hand, Patrick J. Ginley strides into an exam room to do a routine physical exam or review a medical history with a patient who has come in for surgery. He counsels a patient and her family...

Oh, the joy of a corn dog along the lake.(Column)(lakefront)(Column)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Jay Miller The Kent State Urban Design Collaborative and The Plain Dealer are soliciting ideas for redesigning the downtown lakefront. Entries will be presented Nov. 17 at a forum at Cleveland State University's Levin College of...

Jet Partners to increase fleet by 100.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN To claim a piece of the burgeoning "taxicab in the sky'' business, Jet Partners LLC, a corporate aircraft management and charter company in Cleveland, has ordered 100 small jets that will provide inexpensive flights...

NDI Medical makes move to new home.(Health Care)(bioscience company is moving to new office)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SHASTA CLARK CrainTech.com If you're hunting for promising bioscience startups in town, look no further than NDI Medical Inc. The 19-month-old company has been on the fast track since May 2002, when it won the top prize of...

Hyland counts on addition; Software firm expects new space, hundreds of new jobs to meet growing needs.
November 3, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN How's this for an enviable problem for a Northeast Ohio technology company: Hyland Software Inc. is running out of room in the 73,000-square-foot office the company moved into less than two years ago. The...

Workers' Comp bureau consolidates offices.(News)(Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is consolidating its three Cuyahoga County offices into a single customer-service center in Garfield Heights. The move is part of an agencywide downsizing during which the...

Potential Midland plant buyer emerges.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD A Cleveland-based recycler of industrial buildings is taking steps to buy the former Midland Steel Products Co. factory on the West Side and to convert the massive property for use as a multitenant business complex....

Poolmaker's public status could shift.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: MARK DODOSH It appears another publicly traded company in Northeast Ohio soon could disappear from the newspaper stock listings. However, this company won't vanish because of a merger or bankruptcy. Blame the Sarbanes-Oxley Act...

Tri-C seeks professionals to teach.(News)(Brief Article)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND The Eastern Campus of Cuyahoga Community College is trying to build a database of local professionals interested in teaching there so that it quickly can fill available positions next spring and fall. Tri-C...

Heavy demand raises red tape for bariatric surgery.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003

Summa aiming for continuity in senior care.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003

Shareholder turns to SEC to air Waxman complaint.(News)(Securities and Exchange Commission)(Waxman Industries Inc.)
November 3, 2003... Larry Callahan is caught in a classic Catch-22 situation. He'd like to have a greater say in the affairs of Waxman Industries Inc., but he lacks the voting power to bring about the changes he's advocating. Mr. Callahan, a St. Louis...

Suburban interests gather to stoke talk of regionalism.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER An effort to revive the moribund discussion about regionalization in Greater Cleveland began last week with a meeting of more than a dozen suburban public officials at a downtown law office. Rather than talk about...

The Interview.(Health Care)(Interview)
November 3, 2003... Byline: Chrissy Kadleck Since becoming a certified hypnotherapist more than four years ago, Donna Nowak has been traveling at warp speed in the field of holistic health. "I've been in business for about 30 years, with nearly two...

Natural History has skeleton crew.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND Some believe the dead tell no tales. But there are all kinds of stories being told by the dead who reside in the basement of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. For example, the museum houses the remains...

Short Takes.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003... * GRANT OF SUBSTANCE: The Center for Substance Abuse has awarded a $1 million grant to Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland's Department of Family Medicine to develop HIV/AIDS prevention programs for teens and...

Tax Liens.(News)(Public Notice)
November 3, 2003... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that...

Correction.(Correction Notice)
November 3, 2003... An Oct. 27, page 4 story misidentified Steve Lindseth, chairman of Axentis LLC. Mr. Lindseth had been chairman of Complient Corp. He also is a board member of PinPoint1, a Beachwood software company.

Carnegie targeting $48M retail plaza.(Carnegie Management and Development Corp. is hoping to build retail and residential complex)
November 3, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD A Westlake developer hopes to build a $48 million retail and residential complex near Great Northern Mall on an unusual foundation: grudging support from some residents who opposed prior plans at the site. ...

Key or Nat City next to go?
November 3, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Last week's announcement that Bank of America plans to acquire FleetBoston Financial for $47 billion whipped the market for bank stocks into a frenzy and stirred up speculation on Wall Street that large Cleveland bank...

Opinion.
November 3, 2003... Quit stalling In the days before the shot clock in college basketball, the University of North Carolina and its legendary coach, Dean Smith, were known for their ability to sit on a lead by employing Coach Smith's four-corner offense. It...

Feel-good design: Just what the doc ordered.(Health Care)
November 3, 2003... Byline: DIANE DiPIERO The new dental office on state Route 82 in Broadview Heights turns heads with its traditional, yet striking, design. Inside, a vertical water feature resembling a mountain stream eases the apprehension of nervous...

Datebook.(Calendar)(listing of various business events)(Calendar)
November 3, 2003... Week of Nov. 8-14 Saturday Small Business Success Seminar. Sponsored by Service Corps of Retired Executives. 5900 Landerbrook Drive, Mayfield Heights. 8:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $50. Information, 216-522-4194. Monday Congresswoman...

Going Places.(People)
November 3, 2003... Job Changes Construction D-A-S CONSTRUCTION CO.: John Auble to project manager. GILBANE BUILDING CO.: John Sosnowski to project executive; Jeff Park to assistant project engineer; Mike Donauer to senior office engineer. TERRY...

More Isuzu work will drive need to add staff at Malone.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ A year after awarding Malone Advertising a massive chunk of its marketing account, American Isuzu Motors Inc. has handed its media planning and purchasing responsibilities to the Akron firm. Fred Bidwell, president...

Baker's balancing act.(News)
November 3, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER You don't balance a city budget by looking under sofa cushions for loose change, but the city of Cleveland's department isn't overlooking dusty nooks and crannies as it helps Mayor Jane Campbell's administration overcome...

Speak up.(Opinion)(Mayor Jane Campbell)
November 10, 2003... Werner Minshall grew up a politician's son, but you'd hardly know it from his recent impolitic remarks about Mayor Jane Campbell, Cleveland's political culture and the city's attitudes about economic development. It's refreshing to hear a...

Israeli company to consolidate U.S. works here; Fittings biz scouts east suburbs for HQ spot.(News)(fittings and valves distributor)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Ham-Let USA Inc., an Israel-owned fittings and valves distributor that opened a Solon office last spring, is scouting locations in at least three eastern suburbs for an assembly operation it hopes to build next year....

Wolstein eye on East Bank; City examines plan for redeveloping Flats.(developer Scott Wolstein)
November 10, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Developer Scott Wolstein's emerging vision for Old River Road in the Flats would create a new neighborhood, complete with housing and a grocery store, at the site of the troubled riverfront entertainment district....

Arter asks court to hold off on Ch. 7.(News)(Arter & Hadden LLP)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Former Cleveland law firm Arter & Hadden LLP has asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Cleveland to put on hold an involuntary Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition filed against it while it works to liquidate its remaining...

Buckeye bank seeks new CEO.(News)(Buckeye Community Bank)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Buckeye Community Bank in Sheffield is hunting for a new president and CEO, and management hopes to find someone for the job by late January. W. Daniel Waldron, Buckeye's president and CEO for more than three...

Improvements can benefit landlords and tenants.(Small Business)(tenant's leasehold improvements)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Carl Grassi Leasehold improvements can provide a true win-win situation. A tenant's business usually will benefit from making improvements to leased space, and the landlord often will realize the benefits of those improvements...

Murky pitch, Taft's baggage behind Issue 1's flop at polls.(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN A poor sales pitch made by an unpopular pitch man were big factors in last week's failure of state Issue 1, which would have provided $500 million over the next 10 years for investment in technology companies and...

Economy takes toll on Lorain jobs.(Small Business)
November 10, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Prime Industries Inc., a small urethane molding company in Lorain, recently added a product line and is planning to add at least four jobs to its 25-employee work force. Unfortunately, there are not enough...

City's first tech park under way in Midtown; Center to provide young companies lab and office space.(News)(first technology park in Cleveland)
November 10, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Work has begun on converting the 98-year-old Ohio Knitting Mills building into Midtown Technology Center, the first technology park to be constructed in the city of Cleveland. Designed to provide a home for young...

Developer's lawsuit stems from Oak Tree foreclosure.(News)(limited liability company files $50 mn lawsuit)
November 10, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD A limited liability company headed by realty developer Lewis Wallner II seeks $50 million in a lawsuit filed against the lender who foreclosed on his 6200 Oak Tree office building in Independence and the Indiana-based...

Tax credit opens door for new biz.(News)(vinyl windows and doors maker)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Sunshine Window & Door LLC, a new company formed to manufacture vinyl windows and doors for the residential market, will begin operations next month in Independence with the help of a state job creation tax credit....

Plain Dealer attributes price hike to rising costs.(News)
November 10, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ With hopes of attracting new readers and boosting its bottom line, editors at Cleveland's only daily newspaper have reached out in recent years to young adults, women and business leaders. Readership and advertising...

Missouri developer buys PMX plant.(Real Estate)(real estate developer)
November 10, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD A St. Louis-based real estate developer has bought the former PMX Industries Inc. plant in Euclid and is considering options for the property that range from reselling or leasing the hulking building to redeveloping...

Clinic brain center lands top scientist.(Technology)(Dr. Jerrold Vitek)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Dr. Jerrold Vitek has made a name for himself within the medical world as a mapmaker. He soon will partner with an explorer, Dr. Ali Rezai, and together they'll journey deep into the human brain. But this is no...

Crain's offers online-only subscription.(News)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... At the request of readers, Crain's Cleveland Business has introduced an online-only subscription service for $39 a year. This new service gives online subscribers access to the stories that appear in each week's print edition. The stories...

Par plant closing to cost 140 jobs.(News)(Par Industries LLC to close plant in Medina, Ohio)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Par Industries LLC has notified the state of Ohio that it plans before the end of the year to close its 140-employee auto part manufacturing plant on Lake Road in Medina. The notice sent last month to the state...

McGregor makes major moves; New $40M home to open, rehab plan next on plate.(new $40 mn nursing home in East Cleveland)
November 10, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND The McGregor Foundation is putting the final touches on a new, $40 million nursing home in East Cleveland and is gearing up for a $14 million renovation of the existing A.M. McGregor Home and the sale of its Amasa...

Rhein puts $1.5M into plant here.(News)(Rhein Chemie Corp. invests in plant in Chardon, Ohio)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: DAVID PRIZINSKY Rhein Chemie Corp., a supplier of chemicals used by manufacturers of rubber products, has wrapped up a $1.5 million capital investment project at its 125-employee Chardon plant as it awaits word of its eventual sale...

KeyCorp builds a better backup.(News)(data backup system)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL KeyCorp worked for two-and-a-half years to implement a data backup system to protect critical customer information and to make it quickly accessible in the event of a disaster. The result is a computer-based "data...

Arm of local biz supports firefighters on West Coast.(News)(catering subsidiary of Cleveland's A&V Acquisitions)
November 10, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ The deadly string of West Coast wildfires that began late last month caught Southern California residents by surprise and intrigued outsiders who watched the devastation on television. But for workers at OK's...

Let's get the issues out on the table.(Opinion)(labor unions)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Brian Tucker Depending on your point of view, the business news headlines could have driven you to distraction, as dear old Mom used to say, or given reason to celebrate. It simply depends on your attitude. Do you see the glass...

How They Did It; A look at how a small business tackled a challenge.(Small Business)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Julie Pavelich * WHO? Eagle Creek Garden Center, 18548 Chillicothe Road (state Route 306), Bainbridge Township. * DID WHAT? Built a competitive company in a largely male-dominated industry. * WHEN? Jill Bonner opened Eagle...

Grand Openings.(Small Business)(PorchLight Apartment Rental Service)
November 10, 2003... PorchLight Apartment Rental Service 4833 Darrow Road, Suite 106, Stow 44224 www.porchlightrental.com Providing comprehensive national rental services for the corporate relocating renter. The apartment/home rental locator company...

Growth ready to growl; Group looks to be more forceful public voice for biz issues.(News)(Greater Cleveland Growth Association)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER As the area's business leadership organizations undergo a transformation, the chairman of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association is looking for ways to strengthen his group's voice in shaping public policy. ...

Nick Bogdan: Fraud buster; Victoria supervisor saves firm $1.2M in uncovering multinational scam.(News)(insurance fraud)
November 10, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL Would-be insurance fraud perpetrators, beware - you don't want to mess with Nick Bogdan. Mr. Bogdan, a former professional soccer player and police officer turned special investigation unit supervisor for Victoria...

ADR programs can save dollars and time.(Small Business)(litigation over employment disputes)
November 10, 2003... Byline: Stephen S. Zashin An increasing number of employers face costly and protracted litigation related to employment disputes. Since 2002, Ohio juries have returned verdicts as large as $25.7 million and $7.8 million against...

Telecommuters face own set of legal issues.(Small Business)
November 10, 2003... Byline: TIMOTHY J. DUFF A recent New York case involving a claim for unemployment benefits illustrates how telecommuting requires courts to apply antiquated rules to this continually developing form of employment. As a result,...

Tax Liens.(News)(Public Notice)
November 10, 2003... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that...

Late News.(Progressive Corp. chairman Peter Lewis)
November 10, 2003... LEWIS TO RESUME LOCAL GIVING Progressive Corp. chairman Peter Lewis has lifted his philanthropic moratorium on Cleveland. At a luncheon last Friday at the City Club of Cleveland, Mr. Lewis announced that he once again would give money to...

Dereg sparks creation of electric transmission biz.(News)(deregulation of the electric power industry)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER The deregulation of the electric power industry has created a new local business with a fair claim to the title of the world's largest, independent electric transmission company. On Oct. 1, GridAmerica LLC became...

Short Takes.(Briefs)(Viviani Limited Family Partnerships)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... * ON THE GROW: Viviani Limited Family Partnerships of Willoughby has added two Mentor buildings to its portfolio: a multitenant building at 9348 Mercantile Drive and a 34,900-square-foot building at 7700 St. Clair Ave. The company values the...

Convention issue may find way to the ballot.(new tax package)
November 10, 2003... Byline: JAY MILLER The top public officials in Cleveland and Cuyahoga County say they expect to put a convention center issue before voters in March. But it appears divisions that hopelessly snarled the last go-round still exist. ...

Datebook.(Calendar)(Calendar)
November 10, 2003... Week of Nov. 15-21 Monday 21st Annual Awards Luncheon. Sponsored by Growth Capital Corp. Sammy's Metropolitan Ballroom, 925 Euclid Ave. Huntington Bank Building. 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. $30. Information, 216-592-2227. Ronald Richard,...

Going Places.(People)(announces variuos appointments)
November 10, 2003... Job Changes Finance FIFTH THIRD BANK, NORTHEASTERN OHIO: Jeffrey Grosenbaugh to private banking relationship manager. KEYCORP: John Stewart to senior vice president and group manager, enterprise project management, Key Technology...

Address shrinks for city web site.(News)(new domain name, www.cleveland-oh.gov)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Byline: SHASTA CLARK CrainTech.com The city of Cleveland has simplified its web address. The new domain name, www.cleveland-oh.gov, is far easier to remember than the prior, cumbersome address, www.city.cleveland.oh.us. The city...

Letters.(Letter to the Editor)
November 10, 2003... Someone else's money Editor: I read with much interest the article "Labor wants convention plan'' in your Oct. 20 issue. Studies have shown that a convention center would be a losing proposition, and Cleveland Mayor Jane Campbell...

Hitchcock launches brand-building software.(News)(Hitchcock Fleming & Associates)
November 10, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Akron's Hitchcock Fleming & Associates, on the prowl for cost-conscious clients, has developed a marketing software system that helps retailers customize local advertising campaigns. Using an Internet-based digital...

Not the end.(Opinion)(West End project)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Lakewood voters last week rejected (pending a recount) a referendum that would have allowed the West End project to proceed. The fight in Lakewood got nasty, and Mayor Madeline Cain lost her job, but officials elsewhere in Northeast Ohio...

Looking up.(Small Business)(Brief Article)
November 10, 2003... Do you expect your revenues to grow or decline in 2004? Decline: 12% Grow up to 5%: 36% Grow 6% to 10%: 25% Grow 11% to 20%: 15% Do you expect your work force to grow, decline or stay the same in 2004? Decline: 8%...

Tax Liens.(News)(Public Notice)
November 17, 2003... The Internal Revenue Service filed tax liens against the following businesses in the Cuyahoga County Recorder's Office. The IRS files a tax lien to protect the interests of the federal government. The lien is a public notice to creditors that...

Managers mindful of mutual fund activity.(News)
November 17, 2003... Byline: RYAN CORNELL With late trading and market timing scandals taking their toll on mutual fund operators such as Putnam Investments and Janus Capital Group, local mutual fund managers and investment professionals say they're remaining...

opinion.(President Bush may end steel tariffs)
November 17, 2003... Give it up At the risk of the United States looking like it's capitulating to the World Trade Organization, President Bush must remove as soon as practical the hefty tariffs that he imposed on imported steel 20 months ago. Not to say...

Crain's now offers online-only subscription.(News)
November 17, 2003... At the request of readers, Crain's Cleveland Business has introduced an online-only subscription service for $39 a year. This new service gives online subscribers access to the stories that appear in each week's print edition. The stories...

Accessible vehicle firm drives ahead with growth plan.(News)(specialty transportation sector)
November 17, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ When Bill Koeblitz entered the small retail world of specialty transportation six years ago, he saw an opportunity to make a quick impact in a relatively underdeveloped market. The business of selling...

CWRU makes big animal house plans.(Case Western Reserve University's expansion plans)
November 17, 2003... Byline: SHANNON MORTLAND You might dub the latest installment in Case Western Reserve University's expansion saga, "Of Mice and Fuel Cells.'' CWRU is about to open its wallet wide to make its School of Medicine more competitive with...

Datatrak trekking to D.C. to offer software to NIH.(Technology)(president and CEO of Datatrak International Inc.)
November 17, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Jeffrey Green is going to Washington, D.C., to build his business. Dr. Green is president and CEO of Datatrak International Inc., a software company in Mayfield Heights that helps pharmaceutical companies collect...

Donations and buys give OneCleveland more fiber.(News)(fiber optic cable deal)
November 17, 2003... Byline: SHASTA CLARK CrainTech.com Some small purchases and some big donations have given a giant boost to OneCleveland. OneCleveland recently gained rights to nearly 400 miles of fiber optic cable that extends from...

Short Takes.(Technology)(online technical and business conferences firm)
November 17, 2003... * ON THE MOVE: Indigo New Media has a new home. The Independence-based provider of online technical and business conferences is moving down the street to 4807 Rockside Road in Independence. An Indigo vice president said the company is getting a...

Patent.(Technology)
November 17, 2003... Signal wheel for generating rotational position signal Assignee: A.J. Rose Manufacturing Co., Avon Issue Date: Nov. 4, 2003 Filing Date: Oct. 17, 2001 Description: A tone wheel for generating electrical pulses at a rate...

Lake Biz Products now under one roof.(News)(Lake Business Products Inc. moves headquarters )(Brief Article)
November 17, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Lake Business Products Inc., a business-to-business provider of Canon and Savin office equipment, has closed its Willoughby headquarters in favor of a 75,000-square-foot upgrade in Eastlake. Maria Znidarsic, human...

BioEnterprise changes mix of its board.(News)(BioEnterprise Corp.)(Brief Article)
November 17, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN The board of BioEnterprise Corp., the nonprofit organization created to foster Northeast Ohio's burgeoning biotechnology industry, has been remade to give a voice to the commercialization departments of its founders....

Site tries mom's guilt trips to pull people into the city.(News)(urban planning issues)
November 17, 2003... Byline: HENRY GOMEZ Several Cleveland business leaders, conscious of suburban sprawl and lifestyle center fever, hope a maternal touch will help nurture downtown back into a shopping and dining destination. A new web site,...

Axentis attracts $7.5M in venture cap.(News)(Axentis Inc.)
November 17, 2003... Byline: JEFF STACKLIN Axentis Inc. is looking to keep even more corporations in line. The Warrensville Heights company, which develops and sells software to help clients maintain and document compliance with government regulatory...

Metropolitan Plaza latest piece in Duke's portfolio.(News)
November 17, 2003... Byline: STAN BULLARD Duke Realty Corp. has won the bidding contest to snap up the tony, six-story Metropolitan Plaza office building in Highland Hills from Sky Financial Group of Bowling Green. Duke and Sky last week reached a...

Quit whining and pitch in to aid city.(Column)
November 17, 2003... Byline: Brian Tucker Clevelanders could elevate complaining to an art form. The heck with the museum or our orchestra. Or the theaters at Playhouse Square. Or any of the other things that are truly great about life here. When we...